Treatment of glaucoma

Method of treating glaucoma in a mammal, comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of an active water-soluble carbonic anhydrase inhibitor having the formula:

• ##STR19## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of H, --OH, --CN and --OCH.sub.3 ;
• R.sup.2 is methyl or a lower alkyl having from two to about 5 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of HNHCHR.sup.4 --, R.sup.5 NHCHR.sup.4 --, R.sup.5 NHCHR.sup.4 --, ##STR20## R.sup.4 is selected from lower alkyl having two or five carbon atoms, or a naturally occurring amino acid side-chain;
• and
• R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of CH.sub.3 --, HCO--, CH.sub.3 CO-- and X--CH.sub.2 CO-- wherein X is a halogen atom;
• and
• stereoisomers thereof.

A pharmaceutically acceptable formulation useful in the treatment of glaucoma, comprising an effective amount of an active, water-soluble carbonic anhydrase inhibitor having the formula:

• ##STR21## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of H, --OH, --CN and --OCH.sub.3 ;
• R.sup.2 is a methyl or a lower alkyl having from two to five carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of HNHCHR.sup.4 --, R.sup.5 NHCHR.sup.4 --, R.sup.5 NHCH.sub.2 R.sup.5 NHCH.sub.2 CHR.sup.4 --, ##STR22## R.sup.4 is a lower alkyl having two or five carbon atoms, or a naturally occurring amino acid side chain;
• R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of CH.sub.3 --, HCO--, CH.sub.3 CO--, and X--CH.sub.2 CO-- wherein X is a halogen atom;
• and
• stereoisomers thereof.